Game Preview: DAL at SF
The MATCHUP
DALLAS COWBOYS (3-1) at SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4-0)
Game time: Sunday, 7:20 p.m. CST
TV/radio: CBS / Compass Media, Westwood One Radio, Sirius XM-NFL, 105.3 The Fan, KVMK 107.5 La Grande (Spanish)
Broadcast teams: National TV – Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark (sideline); National Radio (Compass) – Troy Clardy, Danny White; National Media (Westwood One) – Ryan Radke, Ryan Harris; Local Radio (English) – Brad Sham, Babe Laufenberg, Kristi Scales; Local Radio (Spanish) – Victor Villalba, Luis Perez
Head Referee: Alan Eck
Officiating Crew: Tab Slaughter, Fred Bryan, Robin DeLorenzo, John Jenkins, Dale Shaw, Greg Meyer, Denise Crudup, Gerald Frye
Last 5 Meetings:
01/22/2023 – 49ers 19, Cowboys 12
01/16/2022 – 49ers 23, Cowboys 17
12/20/2020 – Cowboys 41, 49ers 33
10/22/2017 – Cowboys 40, 49ers 10
10/02/2016 – Cowboys 24, 49ers 17
All Time Head-to-Head: Tied, 19-19-1
WHAT’s at STAKE
In all honesty, it is just one more win or loss on a 17-game schedule and shouldn’t make or break your postseason chances if you’re a good football team. And I think we can all agree these are both good football teams. So, this is not just another game on the schedule, that’s not how we think. No, this is a battle for early season NFC supremacy (we are not counting Philadelphia for this conversation). It’s about proving you’re the alpha. More importantly, this could be a battle for homefield advantage in the playoffs. Way more than just another game on the schedule.
WHEN the COWBOYS HAVE the BALL
Last week in the win over the Patriots, the Cowboys showed you just exactly what they want to be on offense – a short passing game driven attack that leans on the running game late with a lead. If Dallas can incorporate a few more shots down the field, it could be a record setting year. But this isn’t the week to try it. The Cowboys need to continue to do what they have done in their three wins – give quarterback Dak Prescott options all within a 12-yard window and let the receivers work for yards after the catch. They will need to be accurate in the quick passing game with a 49ers rush defense that will keep the Cowboys offensive line on their toes all day. Good thing for Dallas that the starting five they have planned to use since the 2022 preseason will finally be on the field – left tackle Tyron Smith, left guard Tyler Smith, center Tyler Biadasz, right guard Zack Martin and right tackle Terrence Steele. All five are on track to start for the first time as a complete unit since drafting Tyler Smith in the first round of the 2022 draft – 23 games. They will have their hands full with a San Francisco pass rush that has nine sacks and 25 quarterback hits this season. The pressure will come from Nick Bosa, Clelin Ferrell, Javon Hargrave, Drake Jackson, Fred Warner and Arik Armstead.
WHEN the 49ERS HAVE the BALL
Gameplans against the Cowboys haven’t changed in several seasons – make them stop the run. If that is not the case on Sunday, then something has drastically changed with the 49ers. The Cowboys can expect a heavy dose of running back Christian McCaffrey, in both the run and passing games. McCaffrey leads the NFL in rushing yards (459), rushing attempts (80) and yards per rush (5.7). He’s second in the NFL in catches (18) and yards receiving (141) for a running back. He’s also averaging two trips to the end zone per game, so he is not going to be easy to stop. The Cowboys have struggled in the run game. Arizona kept Dallas confused all day employing a run game that used the Cowboys aggressiveness to the Cardinals advantage. The Cowboys adjusted against the Patriots, moving players around to different spots – see Micah Parsons lining up on several plays over the center. The Cowboys better have new wrinkles for quarterback Brock Purdy, who is third in the league in completion percentage at 72.3-percent, and the 49ers quick edge passing game with receivers Brandon Aiyuk (17 catches-320 yards-2 touchdowns) and Deebo Samuel (17-248-1). And just when you think you have shut those guys down, you get a dose of tight end George Kittle (14-148-0). The 49ers offense is loaded.
KEY COWBOYS to WATCH:
NT Jonathan Hankins – Despite the Cowboys going out and using their first-round draft pick on a run-stuffing defensive tackle, Dallas is still better off with Hankins in the game against the run. The 11-year veteran is still making plays. Through four weeks, he has played 84 snaps this season, registering eight tackles and one quarterback pressure. Hankins has primarily been a run stopper in his stops with the New York Giants, Indianapolis, Oakland/Las Vegas and now Dallas. In his 142 games played, he has 384 tackles, 14.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 10 passes defensed. His play will be crucial against the mighty and powerful running game of San Francisco.
S Jayron Kearse – Kearse continues to be the playmaker Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn loves at the safety position. Kearse, now in his third season with Dallas, continues to be the play caller for the defense. He has been on the field for 216 snaps, which is just 16 shy of 100-percent participation, and he would have that if not for the blowout of the Giants in the season opener. He, along with many other starters, got to watch most of the fourth quarter from the sidelines. Kearse is third on the team in tackles with 17 but has been exceptional in coverage – knocking away three passes and intercepting another that he returned 32 yards against Jets. He will be tested by the speed of the San Francisco offense.
LT Tyron Smith – Welcome back! With Smith’s return, the Cowboys are going to trot out an offensive line that features their five best linemen for the first time in the last 23 games. Smith with slot right back in at his most familiar spot, protecting the blindside of quarterback Dak Prescott. Smith, who missed the last two weeks, is back just in time to get tested by one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL. He will see a lot of defensive ends Nick Bosa, Clelin Ferrell and Drake Jackson. Smith, now in his 13th season, has missed games in the last eight seasons, including 35 games over the last 3-plus seasons. After already missing a couple games this season, a healthy Tyron Smith can only help the Cowboys offense going forward.
KEY 49ERS to WATCH:
DE Nick Bosa – Four games into the season and San Francisco fans are waiting for Nick Bosa to show up, after a holdout left him just days to get ready for the start of the season. The NFL’s reigning sack champion has just one this season in four games. That would put him on pace for only four this season, a drastic drop from his 18.5 last season and 15.5 in 2021. He has been double teamed close to 40-percent of his snaps, which has freed up some of his teammates to pick up the slack – mainly Drake Jackson, Javon Hargrave and Clelin Ferrell. Regardless, the Cowboys will know where Bosa is always, and they should be giving help to whomever he is lined up over.
LB Fred Warner – Warner doesn’t get the headlines, but he has been the 49ers best defensive player this season. Like Leighton Vander Esch with the Cowboys, Warner locks down the middle of the defense for San Francisco. He leads the team in tackles with 33, and has one sack, two tackles for loss and two passes defensed. Now in his sixth season in the Bay Area, Warner has not missed a game. He has led the 49ers in tackles in his previous five seasons – finishing with 124 tackles in 2018, 118 tackles in 2019, 125 tackles in 2020, 137 tackles in 2021 and 130 tackles in 2022. He is on pace for 141 tackles this season, which would be a good enough for the sixth best season in team history – behind only a couple monster seasons from Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman.
WR Brandon Aiyuk – When the ball goes to Aiyuk this season, he does not get stopped short of the line to gain. This season he has 17 receptions and all of them have gone for first downs (15) or touchdowns (2). He is the first player to have such a streak since Calvin Ridley had 18 straight in 2020. If only Aiyuk had more catches, because has 320 receiving yards is good enough for just 12th in the NFL. But it is the 18.8 yards per catch that the Cowboys are going to have to worry about. He is the 49ers deep threat, with speed to burn. He will be the responsibility of Cowboys cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore, DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis.
The BOTTOM LINE
This one really is a tossup. Both teams are equally matched in all three phases of the game. But the tiebreaker must be that San Francisco has gotten it done the last two times these two teams have played, including the Divisional round of the playoffs last season. San Francisco has proven they can win this matchup, so the pressure’s on Dallas to leave the Bay Area in wee hours of Monday morning at 4-1 and not 3-2. Easier said than done.
Prediction: 49ers 24, Cowboys 20